This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7xc2xa7119 and/or 365 to application Ser. No. 01810570.0 filed in Europe on Jun. 13, 2001; the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to the field of fastening techniques for electronic components. It concerns a holding device for at least one electronic component according to the precharacterizing clause of the independent claim.
Electronic components, in particular power resistors or power capacitors, are today used in a wide range of power electronic circuits, in particular in power converter circuits. For fastening the corresponding electronic component in the power converter circuit, customary holding devices are provided. Such a holding device is made up of two plate-shaped legs, which are connected to each other at one of their leg ends. The two legs thereby substantially form an orthogonal angle. The component is customarily fastened to one of the legs at its electrical terminals. The other leg serves for the fastening of the holding device, for example to a frame of a power converter circuit, and is provided for this purpose with corresponding holes.
It is problematical in the case of such a holding device that the electronic component is connected to the holding device only at its electrical terminals. Under mechanical loads, in particular bending loads on the component, as can customarily occur in the tough conditions in which a power converter circuit operates, the terminals of the component may break off and consequently damage or destroy the component and the holding device. Furthermore, when a holding device is already mounted in a power converter circuit, mounting of the component for exchange and maintenance purposes is very difficult, since the component can only be fastened to the holding device at its terminals and otherwise has no further holding point and/or no additional holding surface which could assume a holding function for the component during mounting and maintenance. As a result, however, mounting and maintenance of the component is complex, laborious and causes considerable costs.
It is therefore an object of the invention to develop a holding device for at least one electronic component in such a way that improved fastening of the component in a circuit, in particular a power converter circuit, is achieved and particularly easy, quick and consequently low-cost mounting and maintenance of the component are made possible. This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.
The holding device according to the invention for at least one electronic component is made up of a first substantially plate-shaped leg and a second substantially plate-shaped leg, the two legs being connected to each other at one of their leg ends and forming in relation to each other a substantially orthogonal angle. According to the invention, the first leg and the second leg in each case have a leg inner wall facing the substantially orthogonal angle, the leg inner wall of the first leg having a receiving surface for the resting of a lateral surface part of the electronic component. This receiving surface advantageously provides a holding point, a holding line or a holding surface, on which the component can rest and consequently be given an additional hold in addition to the customary fastening of the component to one of the legs, in particular to the second leg, at its electrical terminals. Altogether, the receiving surface gives the component improved fixing, for example in a power converter circuit. Furthermore, for mounting and/or maintenance purposes, the component merely has to be placed onto the receiving surface and can then finally be fastened very easily and quickly at its electrical terminals, so that low-cost maintenance and/or mounting can be achieved.
In addition, the leg inner wall of the second leg has, according to the invention, at least one pressing surface for the surface-area contacting of a surface part of the component comprising an electrical terminal. Under mechanical loading of the component, which is customarily fastened to the second leg by its electrical terminals, the component is pressed with the surface part against the pressing surface by the terminal fastening and is consequently additionally fixed, since there is almost no play between the pressing surface and the surface part of the component with the electrical terminals, so that the electrical terminals can be advantageously relieved. The service life of the component and of the holding device can advantageously be increased, since the holding device and the component are less frequently damaged or even destroyed by tearing off of the electrical terminals.